Moonilal says he's UNC, won't support any other party

Dr Roodal Moonilal said Monday he remains committed to the United National Congress (UNC) and it is the only party that he will support.

The Oropouche East MP was speaking on a morning radio talk show with host Dr Suruj Rambachan, who is also one of the three new deputy leaders of the UNC along with Moonilal and Senator Lyndira Oudit.

Rambachan raised the issue of the possibility of former UNC leader Basdeo Panday forming a new political party with the help of MPs who currently support him.

That issue was first raised on this blog in a column posted Sunday.

Read the column: Column: Don't write off Panday yet; politics has its own morality

Rambachan asked Moonilal a direct question about what he would do if Panday makes such a move and asked for his support.

Moonilal was emphatic that he would say no, adding that the UNC is the only party he would ever support.

Moonilal also discussed support for Kamla Persad-Bissessar as leader of the opposition but did not give a declarative answer on the issue. However he suggested that it is a matter for MPs to discuss and he does not see it as a difficult one to overcome.

The UNC deputy leader said one of his priorities is to help unite the party and explained that he demonstrated that solidarity with the new executive when he sat with all the new members at a news conference last week following the first meeting of the executive, which he attended.

Moonilal also spoke about the appointment of the Chief Whip and said he was taken aback with the manner in which the appointment was made. But he said that is done and he fully supports the Whip.

UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the surprise move to appoint Jack Warner as Whip on Friday while Moonilal was acting in the post because Dr Hamza Rafeeq was absent due to illness. She has said she was guided by the support from the membership that Warner received in the internal election on January 24.

She has planned to address the concern raised by Moonilal and others that the best way to deal with party issues is to meet with the Parliamentary caucus. Last week at the inauguration of the new executive, Persad-Bissessar said she plans to meet with the caucus as soon as possible.